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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22789534">A witch, an angel, a hunter, and a psychic walk into a bar...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey2510/pseuds/grey2510'>grey2510</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aromantic Character, Aromantic Rowena MacLeod, Asexual Character, Asexual Patience Turner, Canon Universe, Case Fic, Demisexual Castiel (Supernatural), Families of Choice, Gen, Unconventional Families, unlikely teammates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22789534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey2510/pseuds/grey2510</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A hunt brings together an unlikely crew, but Rowena, Claire, Patience, and Cas end up being the perfect team up to take down the monster and a round of drinks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>SPNColdestHits</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A witch, an angel, a hunter, and a psychic walk into a bar...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic takes places vaguely in the same timeline as this one: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/14981423"> What Goes Around</a>. It's not required reading to understand this fic, but if you want to know about Claire and Rowena's earlier adventures, check it out :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So why do you want <em>my</em> help on this?" Patience grumbles as she closes her organic chem book, her phone wedged between her shoulder and cheek. Before her roommate asks too many questions, she gets up and heads out into the hallway, heading for the little alcove near the stairs, the dorm's unofficial phone lounge.</p><p>"Because everyone else is at least three hours away?" Claire huffs into the phone. "And there's some sort of writing thing I can't puzzle out. Need that big brain of yours."</p><p>Patience leans back against the painted cinder block wall and slides to the ground. The alcove is pretty small; if she laid down on her back, she'd probably have to bend her knees a little to fit. She stretches out her legs in front of her, crossing them at the ankle.</p><p>"Claire…" she half-whines. "It's not like being psychic granted me magical abilities in deciphering runes."</p><p>"No, but you're still the smartest person I know." Claire's working herself up to full-wheedling mode, and Patience knows she's going to give in and say yes. "C'mon. I'll take you out for a beer after."</p><p>"I'm not twenty-one until next month," Patience reminds her.</p><p>"So? You saying you don't have a fake yet? What've you even been <em>doing</em> at college?"</p><p>"Studying. Learning. Getting my degree. You know, that whole thing I came to college for."</p><p>Claire scoffs. "Lame."</p><p>"And this is helping persuade me to help you how exactly?"</p><p>"Oh, Patience, favorite of my adopted sisters, most amazing psychic, brilliant in all things, who definitely has an exciting social life that I feel just <em>awful</em> about dragging her away from, please oh please, will you help me on this case?"</p><p>Patience can hear the smile in Claire's voice and she returns it before sighing dramatically. "If you insist."</p><p>"Cool. Grab your stuff. I'm outside your dorm and I'm pretty sure the campus cop's gonna be pissed I've been parked in a loading zone if I wait much longer."</p><p>"What? Seriously? Claire!"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"You heading back to the Bunker soon, man?"</p><p>Cas pauses before responding, checking for traffic before making a turn. "Soon. There's something strange going on in this town. I'm going to check it out."</p><p>There's a rustling on Dean's end of the phone that sounds like a food wrapper getting crumpled up and tossed away. "You need back up?"</p><p>"Not sure yet. I'll let you know." He one handedly steers the truck into a parking space outside a brick building proclaiming it OLD BANK LODGE, which the internet has assured him is in fact a hotel now that caters specifically to hunters—the wildlife and game kind. He thinks Dean would find his choice of lodging amusing. "I'm in Leola, South Dakota."</p><p>"That's…" Cas can clearly picture the one-eyed squint Dean is probably making as he calculates distance. Dean continues, "Me and Sam're wrapping up a case in Montana, so we're a bit of a haul but Jody's gotta be only three or four hours away if things go sideways."</p><p>"I'll keep that in mind."</p><p>"Talk soon?"</p><p>"Yes. I'll keep you posted on the case."</p><p>"Alright. Later." Dean hangs up and Cas slips the phone into his pocket as he gets out of the truck.</p><p>The inside of the Old Bank Lodge is exactly what Cas imagined it would be: lots of wood and leather, and several stuffed birds peer down at guests. A wiry-looking man in hunting attire is relaxing in a comfortable looking armchair, scrolling through his phone. Behind the front desk, an older woman with grey-and-white hair smiles at him pleasantly from behind the reading glasses she has perched on her nose.</p><p>"Can I help you?" she asks as Cas approaches.</p><p>"Yes, I'm looking to book a room for the next few nights."</p><p>"Of course!" She taps a small plastic rack on the counter holding brochures. "Are you interested in our Valentine's Day package?"</p><p>Cas peers at the top brochure, which has several pictures inside heart shapes, mostly of couples holding up the game they hunted, although there is one of a man and a woman holding hands over brunch.</p><p>"Uh, no. Thank you. I'm here on my own."</p><p>"Not a problem, Mr….?"</p><p>"Adele."</p><p>The woman beams. "Oh, like the singer? My daughter and I just <em>adore</em> her." She leans in conspiratorially and says in a stage-whisper, "So does my husband but he'd never admit it."</p><p>"I heard that, Miriam!" calls out a gruff voice from a room behind the desk, which Cas assumes must be an office.</p><p>Miriam chuckles and then goes to her computer to start logging in Cas' details. A few minutes later, she's handing over keys and telling him when brunch is available each morning and not to hesitate to call down to the desk if he needs anything.</p><p>He thanks her and is about to turn when he hears an all too familiar voice say, "Castiel? Is that you?"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"And what are you staring at?" Rowena scoffs in the direction of a painting of a quite regal-looking buck, whose eyes seem to follow her around the room. She's contemplated throwing the handmade quilt over it several times since she's arrived. "It isn't as if I've heard <em>you</em> contributing any grand ideas."</p><p>The buck, of course, says nothing. Rowena sighs and closes the grimoire she's been poring through the last two hours. She'd recognized the glyphs she'd managed to sneak a peek at while the morgue attendant was rather, well, <em>distracted</em>, the poor boy, but they simply do not make sense in this context or arrangement. Perhaps a cup of tea or a breath of fresh air—even in February in this backwater state—would do her good.</p><p>She rises from the chair and goes to the closet where she'd hung her coat, grimacing at the tacky cupid statuette on the bureau that the owners of this establishment had placed there in some sort of wildly misguided festive spirit. She can't say she's ever been one for that romantic nonsense, not unless there was something she was getting out of it by playing along, but at least chocolates and roses and saccharine sweet nothings make far more sense to her than a weekend in a hunting lodge.</p><p>Coat and scarf donned, she makes her way down the narrow and dimly lit wood-paneled hallway towards the stairs to the lobby. A door opens as she passes and a tall girl wearing a maroon sweatshirt with NSU in gold letters on it steps out. She's certainly a striking change from the other burlier patrons of the establishment, and even the sweatshirt and jeans is a step up from the frankly horrifying amount of camouflage and flannel she's seen the past two days. And she's saying this as someone who spends far more time with the Winchesters than she would care to admit, although thankfully their fashion crimes have yet to extend to branch and leaf patterns or bright orange headwear.</p><p>"Pardon me," Rowena says as she approaches.</p><p>The girl smiles, stepping back into the still-open door, right into someone trying to exit the room at the same time. They bump into each other with mutual <em>oofs</em> before blue eyes and a mess of blond hair peek out from behind the tall girl and exclaims, "Rowena? Holy shit, what are you doing here?"</p><p>Rowena blinks. "Claire?" She recovers then grins broadly, looking between the two girls. "Well, this is certainly a delightful surprise. I can only assume you're here for the same reason I am, unless you're here for the Valentine's Day special this place is offering, in which case we sorely need to have a conversation about your standards for accommodations…"</p><p>Claire makes a face as she steps past the other girl and into the hallway. "Ew, gross. Patience is like my sister."</p><p>"One of the good sheriff's waifs, eh?" Patience's eyes narrow, and Rowena studies her more closely. "Ah, you're the one with a touch of psychic, aren't you? Lovely."</p><p>"What do you want, Rowena?" Claire crosses her arms.</p><p>Patience interrupts, as though something has just clicked for her. "Wait, Rowena? You're the…" She lowers her voice. "You're the witch."</p><p>"Oh good, so you have heard of me. I was beginning to fear Claire hadn't sung my praises enough after we faced that Fae Queen together." Rowena turns to Claire. "And I don't <em>want</em> anything, dearie, except to stop these deaths. I'm sure you can understand."</p><p>"Well, I…" Claire's arms tighten across her before she releases them. "Yeah. Alright."</p><p>"Excellent. So, shall we compare notes?"</p><p>Patience still looks skeptical. "You want to work with us?"</p><p>"I'm nothing if not a team player." She grins.</p><p>Claire rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right."</p><p>Rowena ignores this. "I was going to see if there was any place in this horrid little town that can make a passable cup of tea, if you care to join. My treat."</p><p>Patience and Claire exchange a quick silent conversation before Claire nods. "Fine. We were going out to get food anyway."</p><p>As they make their way to the lobby, Rowena asks the girls the usual pleasantries, deciding that discussion of the case can wait until they are in a more private environment. Claire's natural prickliness lessens after a bit, and Rowena learns that the girl has been all around the country in the months since they were in Colorado together, most notably spending a few weeks in Arizona, enjoying the sun in between hunts. Patience, Rowena learns, is studying at university in hopes of becoming a doctor, but she keeps her hand in the family business when she's not buried in books and exams—or when her adopted sister convinces her to join in on a hunt.</p><p>They round the corner of the hallway into the lobby and Rowena and Claire stop, almost in unison, when they see the trench coated-figure before them at the front desk. Patience takes an extra step before realizing they've stopped.</p><p>"Castiel?" Rowena asks, with a flirty lilt she knows will fluster the wee angel. "Is that you?"</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"Are you going to be ok?" Patience asks in a whisper as they walk up to the café Rowena had deemed acceptable. Cas and Rowena are ahead of them, and Patience and Claire pause just outside the doors before they catch up.</p><p>Claire nods. "Yeah. I just...wasn't expecting to see him."</p><p>Patience may be newer to all of this, but she's heard enough about Claire's life before she showed up at Jody's to know how big of a deal this is, that Claire's relationship with Castiel—who is <em>not</em> what Patience imagined when she heard 'angel'—is beyond complicated.</p><p>"I know it's not the same," she says, "but, seeing my grandmother after all those years...it hurt. I'm here if you need to talk."</p><p>Claire gives her a half smile. "Thanks."</p><p>They continue into the café, where Rowena is already placing her order and she has her hand on Cas' arm; he looks uncomfortable, but Patience can't tell if that's because of the situation or if that's just what he's normally like.</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want anything <em>hot</em>, Castiel, darling?" Rowena bats her eyes at him in such an exaggerated way that Patience finds it hard to believe the witch thinks it'll actually work.</p><p>"Uh. No."</p><p>Claire looks at Patience then rolls her eyes.</p><p>"Does she… Are they…?" Patience mouths, unsure how to properly ask about the witch and angel's relationship.</p><p>"Nah, she flirts with everyone," Claire mutters.</p><p>"Great." Just what Patience wants.</p><p>Rowena, of course, turns around just at that moment, having clearly heard their conversation. "Oh don't worry, love," she says to Patience. "I know who's off-limits."</p><p>"Do you?" Cas asks dryly.</p><p>"Well, unless you're here to tell me you're officially off the market, that <em>someone's</em> made an honest angel of you…"</p><p>Patience never truly understood what a cat-like smile was until this moment, looking at Rowena. She also didn't know it was possible for an angel to look embarrassed, but apparently, they can.</p><p>"Uh," Cas clears his throat. "Claire, Patience, are you ordering beverages as well?"</p><p>"Yes," she and Claire say emphatically in unison. Anything to change the subject.</p><p>Normally, Patience would feel a little guilty about someone she barely knows paying for her food and drink, but if this conversation is anything to go by, she has a feeling that after a few days of working with Rowena, the witch is going to owe them more than a couple of sandwiches and coffees.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"Well, that could've gone better." Claire eyes the rip in Castiel's trench coat sleeve as they climb the stairs up to Rowena's room, and tugs it gently.</p><p>Cas pauses on the landing, looking down at his coat. "Oh. I can repair that." He squints at her as if finally seeing her for the first time, which might not be that far from the truth, seeing as they were just hiking around the woods in the dark and then hurried through the lobby so no one would see them or ask questions. He reaches a hand out to her face, then pauses. "May I?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>Gently, two fingers press on her forehead and her split lip and the bruise she knows was forming on her thigh disappear. And then the grace is gone and she feels an ache somewhere deep inside her, like a forgotten memory.</p><p>"Thanks," she manages, and they continue up to the room.</p><p>When they get there, Rowena is packing up her kit of ingredients and candles and bowls, and Patience is stacking books carefully in a duffel bag. The air has a slightly burnt spicy smell, but hey, Claire figures it's better than the musty lingering dude deodorant and fake pine scent the room came with.</p><p>"Ah, the returning heroes," Rowena trills. "Everything go as planned?"</p><p>Claire and Cas eye each other, before Claire says, "Mostly. The spell took a little longer to kick in than we thought."</p><p>"Aye, I told you: magic takes time to work properly."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, you rush a miracle, you get rotten miracles." Claire rolls her eyes and flops into a chair, which she regrets instantly. Some things from the 70s should have stayed in the 70s.</p><p>Cas visibly brightens. "I know that reference."</p><p>Claire quirks an eyebrow at him. "Lemme guess: Dean? What is it with him and that movie? He make you watch <em>Caddyshack</em>, too?"</p><p>"Several times. Though not as many as <em>Tombstone</em>."</p><p>Patience crosses her arms and gives Claire a sly look that Claire doesn't like one bit. "Says the one who has made us watch <em>Tangled</em>—"</p><p>"Shut up!" Claire hucks a throw pillow with a cross-stitched mallard on it at Patience, who ducks—no pun intended—and lets the pillow softly thump into the wall behind her, knocking a tacky country landscape painting askew. Claire tries and fails to glare at Patience, and they eventually start giggling. "Don't make me tell them about <em>your</em> obsession with—"</p><p>"Girls," Rowena cuts in, "as endearing as this is, can we not destroy the room? As much as I feel the place could do with a good remodeling or being burnt to the ground, I'd rather not foot the bill."</p><p>Cas scoffs. "I'm sure you'd charm your way out of it."</p><p>Rowena raises her chin. "Just because I <em>could</em> doesn't mean I <em>should.</em> I'm one of the good guys now, remember?"</p><p>"I remember."</p><p>Claire can only guess at the things Cas implies he remembers, but she also thinks she'd really rather not know. So instead, she gets up from the scratchy torture device disguised as furniture and says, "I dunno about you guys, but I could use a drink. C'mon, monster's gone, we've worked hard the last few days, we deserve it."</p><p>Patience frowns. "Claire…"</p><p>"We'll get you an iced tea or whatever," Claire says with a dismissive wave of a hand.</p><p>Rowena smiles. "Well, I can't say I hold much hope for whatever wine selection an establishment in a town like this has to offer, but I'm game. What do you say, angel? Fancy a nightcap?"</p><p>Cas shrugs. "It does seem to be the traditional end to a hunt. I can drive to Kansas tomorrow just as easily as tonight."</p><p>"Excellent!" Rowena gathers her coat and loops a hand through Cas' elbow. "Shall we?"</p><p>Claire sighs, as does Patience, before they follow the other two out of the room.</p><p>Claire kind of regrets her suggestion when they roll up to the only bar in town still open. She'd forgotten what day it is, and the red and pink streamers and paper hearts are all kinds of nauseating. At least it isn't a total dive—she really wasn't in the mood for fending off asshole bikers all night. There is a pool table at the far side of the bar, but the rest looks like the kind of place that it wouldn't be weird to see the local mom group out for a glass of wine.</p><p>Cas somehow manages to distract or mojo the dude checking IDs at the door well enough to let Patience in, and then the four of them find themselves a table in a mostly forgotten corner. Claire's pretty sure the couple in the next booth is too wrapped up in each other's lips to notice them.</p><p>Patience wrinkles her nose when she sees them after Cas leaves to get them drinks.</p><p>Rowena, however, just chuckles. "What? Nothing wrong with a good snog, though their choice of venue is a bit questionable."</p><p>Patience shrugs, though Claire knows her well enough to know the gesture isn't as casual as it seems. "Not really my thing."</p><p>Claire tenses, waiting to jump in to defend Patience, waiting for Rowena to say what everyone always says: oh you just haven't found the right guy. Claire remembers those words far too well, and although Patience's situation is different, she knows how much they fucking suck to hear.</p><p>Instead, though, Rowena simply leans in, resting her chin on the back of a hand. "Are you not into the snogging, the choice of partner or the venue?"</p><p>Patience lets out an uncomfortable, "Uh…"</p><p>"Oh it makes no matter of mind to me, dear. You can be honest with Auntie Rowena. Just because I have certain tastes doesn't mean they're everyone's cup of tea." She leans back just as Cas sets a glass of red wine in front of her. "Thank you, angel." To Patience, she adds, "I don't mean to pry."</p><p>"You <em>love</em> to pry," Claire says, taking a sip from her beer as Cas takes the chair next to her.</p><p>Rowena dismisses Claire's comment with a wave and a grin but doesn't deny it.</p><p>"What are we prying about?" Cas asks. He takes a drink from his own beer, then frowns at it like it's insulted him before returning it to the table.</p><p>"It's Valentine's Day," Rowena says, gesturing around the bar with her wine glass in one hand. "Apparently, a day for true love, if you go for that sort of thing. I'd rather skip to the fun bits, but to each their own."</p><p>Claire raises an eyebrow. "So you don't enjoy getting wined and dined?"</p><p>"Oh I absolutely do. Who would turn down a good Cabernet and a nice filet? But as soon as they start talking about feelings…" She shudders. "The only sparkling conversation <em>I</em> want is about the champagne we're drinking."</p><p>"And what's in their bank account," Cas mutters into his beer.</p><p>"Once upon a time, love, sure." Rowena's eyes glitter. "But enough about me. What about you, Feathers? Not that I don't enjoy your company, but I find it hard to believe we're your first choice for holiday plans. No special someone to be with? No one you'd move Heaven and Earth to be with?"</p><p>Cas gives her a flat look. "Even if I were at all inclined to celebrate, when you've met Saint Valentine and the cupids, the day loses its appeal."</p><p>Patience blinks. "You met Saint Valentine? And cupids are <em>real</em>?" She glances around and asks in a whisper. "There aren't any cupids <em>here</em> are there?"</p><p>"No, thankfully," he says darkly. "You would know if a cupid were here. They're...effusive."</p><p>Claire sighs. "Well, I'm hanging out with my adopted sister, the dude who looks like my dad, and a centuries old witch who likes to call herself my auntie, so even if there was a cupid around, I doubt my chances would be good tonight." She looks around the room, which seems to be mostly couples or single guys at the bar. "Not that I think I had many options to choose from."</p><p>Rowena follows her gaze. "Oh I don't know. The lovely bartender looks like she might be a fun time."</p><p>The bartender is kind of cute, but Claire freezes, realizing that she's never come out to Cas. She and Rowena had gone out for a drink after their first case together and Rowena had barely batted an eye at Claire's confession, only saying that while she herself tends to favor the men, she's had her fair share of exciting nights with the ladies.</p><p>But Cas? Claire's eyes go wide and she almost can't look at him. Across the table, Rowena looks apologetic, obviously realizing what she's said.</p><p>Yet all Cas says, completely seriously, is, "If you wished to talk to her, we can entertain ourselves. She seems very nice."</p><p>"Um…" Logically, Claire's relieved that Cas seems to be cool with it, but her brain is still frozen. </p><p>Patience, of course, cuts in with, "Pfft. She is <em>way</em> out of your league," which breaks the tension at the table.</p><p>"Is not," Claire shoots back. Silently, though, she mouths, <em>Thank you.</em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"Patience's soulmate is books," Claire says as an aside at one point during the night, when Castiel and the other girl are deeply engrossed in a conversation about some mathematical scientific nonsense that makes Rowena's head spin. She heard the word "quantum" and stopped paying attention.</p><p>Rowena hums into her glass, filing away that bit of information. Perhaps the wee huntress is closer to the truth than she realizes, and it would explain the other girl's disinterest in the couple earlier.</p><p>"You know," Claire says, "this isn't too bad. We're kind of a kick-ass team, in a really messed up way."</p><p>"Aye, I was impressed with how Patience handled herself," Rowena agrees. "You both have a knack for magic."</p><p>"You are <em>not</em> recruiting her."</p><p>Rowena splays a hand over her chest. "I wouldn't <em>dream</em> of it. Besides, I bloody well know better than to cross Sheriff Jody. You don't live to be over three hundred years old without knowing where to draw the line."</p><p>Claire snorts. "You pissed off <em>God.</em> And his <em>sister</em>."</p><p>"Yes, well, we all make mistakes."</p><p>Cas and Patience return to the general conversation, and in a fit of camaraderie and goodwill that she will absolutely deny later, Rowena raises her glass of South Dakota's finest red blend. "I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Valentine's Day as much as this, even though my bed will be depressingly empty later. Unless there are any last minute takers..." She eyes Castiel, who rolls his eyes, obviously resigned to her flirtations, even if that's all they'll ever be. Not that she would turn down a chance with the angel if he were at all interested—she's sure it would be a night to remember for all parties involved—but she knows a lost cause when she sees one, and the teasing isn't quite as fun when a certain hunter isn't around to get huffy about it. "Alas. In any case, to a successful hunt. <em>Sláinte</em>."</p><p>"Cheers," Patience and Claire say at the same time, raising each of their glasses to clink against hers. Cas follows suit belatedly, though clearly pleased by the little ritual if his small smile is anything to go by.</p><p>Perhaps love isn't so bad after all.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Written for Coldest Hits:<br/><a href="https://spncoldesthits.tumblr.com/post/189944798425/february-2020-prompt-aroace-pride-posting-dates">Here was the prompt and rules</a>. Since this was my prompt, I'm not playing to win, so comment and kudos away!</p><p> </p></blockquote></div></div>
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